Tales of the WinterGuard
by DrunkenNord91
Summary: As the prophecy has predicted, the World-Eater has fallen at the hands of the Dragonborn, yet the sons of skyrim still fight each other. Witness the tales of the northern force of the Stormcloak army as seen by one man, whose past and future come together in this epic tale of Adventure, War and Love. Follow the story of Ulrik and the Winterguard. Rated M to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Tales of the WinterGuard**

_This is my first attempt at FanFiction so be gentile on the story. It jumps around a bit at first, as I'm trying to set the foundations of the entire story, but it gets real interesting. This story takes place during the Skyrim events and for some clarification, the Dragonborn has defeated Alduin, but the Civil War rages on. The Holds of Skyrim and their poplulations have grown immensly and are thriving. A little bit of basic info but I hope you all enjoy. I do not own any of the Elder Scrolls or Skyrim series and this is just out of my imagination. Please read and review._

**Chapter 1**

_4E 175, 30th of Rain's Hand  
__Battle of the Red Ring, Southern Line  
__4th Legion of the Imperail Army_

"Get those arrows flying! We can't allow those damned elves to break through our lines!" the Imperial Tribune shouted.

Ulrik Ice-Mane had heard of the ferocity and savagery of battles before but never on the scale. The stench of death and decay filled the air and made him want to turn out last night's meal, and by the looks on some of the other legionnaires, they felt the same way.

They'd marched down from Skyrim knowing that they needed to retake the Imperial City. Now the Thalmor were pressing them in from the south and the west.

The explosion of a fireball snapped him back to his senses. He needed to get back to his duty. To Nords, duty and honor are among the highest of priorities. In his mind, Ulrik knew he could not bring shame to his ancestors and Nordic heritage.

At only five years of age he wasn't allowed to fight or to sign up with the Legion yet, however, at his brother's, Esken's, request he'd been brought along as an extra helping hand. Throughout the trip down to Cyrodiil, he'd mostly just helped the cooks and served as an extra pack mule. Right now though he was busy dispensing more arrows to the 3rd Archer Company of the 4th Legion, and with almost 250 archers making up the 3rd he had a lot of arrows to dispense.

Halfway along the lines of the archers he saw the face, he'd hope to see still intact. Esken's bow loosened arrows upon the advancing rows of Thalmor, as the ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth Infantry Companies readied themselves for the oncoming horde. They were as ready as they were ever going to be and thanks to General Jonna's brilliance, they stood a better chance of staving off the enemy advance.

Soon after the enemy's advance had first been spotted, General Jonna knew that they would be hit all on sides and quickly over run due to the enemies' greater numbers. So instead of marching out to meet them, he allowed the enemy to advance on their position and divided his forces to evenly to defend the main assault and the eastern and western flanks. He also kept back 3 companies of infantry and 2 archer companies as reinforcements to be dispatched as needed.

Ulrik at his young age hadn't quite thought of the reason for dividing up their forces like this, until Esken had slowly explained the situation to him. At that point he'd felt confident that the Legion would easily dispatch these elves, however, being in the heat of battle as he was now, he had the feeling at the pit of his stomach that made him wish he'd had parents to hold onto.

"More arrows!" came the shout from the archer next to Esken. Ulrik made his way over and placed another dozen arrows in the man's quiver. He turned to see Esken and their gazes met for a second. In that second, Esken's blue eyes and slight smile comforted Ulrik more than any hug or any words could ever make him feel. In that second he saw his older brother fighting proudly to defend an Empire that had dubbed them outcasts. In that second, a fireball exploded on Esken's chest.

* * *

Ulrik awoke sweating and panting. He never sweat, living in this ruin which offered some protection against the wind but nothing in the way of protection from the cold. He looked around as if expecting to see someone who wasn't there. He shook his head as if pretending not to know who or what he was looking for, but in the back of his mind and in the heart of his soul, he secretly hoped to see Esken standing before him as he was that day almost 27 years ago.

He got up and went to peer out the make shift windows of the ruin to see where the sun was. Out in the distance past the Sea of Ghosts, he could see the sun barely beginning to edge its way up into the sky and christen the day with its glow. The ruins, which he'd found about a year and a half back was of ancient Nordic design, built solely as a rest stop of sorts and had no windows and no doors. The single entrance faced east and led into a "hallway" that ran in a semi-circle and opened up into a small room. All along the "hallway" were opening's that could be mistaken as openings for a window but as to their main purpose, Ulrik could only guess. He covered the openings that were most exposed to the elements with plates of wood and wolves pelts. This served to protect him from the elements and to offer some minor protection against any who would try to attack him while he lay inside the room.

At the ripe of age of 30 his life had been filled with an excellent career in the legion, a few years of adventuring, and for the past year and a half working as a hunter, fisherman, and expedition guide for the ruins of Alftand. He'd even been made a Thane of the Hold for his many noble deeds and for his aid in the expansion and prosperity of Winterhold. It all seemed like a life well lived and worthy of a place within Sovngarde. However, for all this, he still felt emptiness in his soul. Perhaps it was the loss of his brother at an early age, or his reasons for leaving the Legion, or the fact that he longed to end his loneliness and have a family of his own. These things constantly plagued his heart and he often found himself wondering what purpose was left for him in this life. Why did he continue to exist in this remote corner of Skyrim?

He caught himself deep in thought again and realized that today was a most important day. It was the 11th of First Seed and he had made plans to spend the day with Malene for her birthday. He'd even gone so far as to have Birna special order a Silver and Sapphire Ring commissioned in Markarth. He spared no expense in its creation having had the necklace engraved with the words, "To the Soul that Warms my Heart" and got it enchanted with Sergius over at the College of Winterhold. It lay flat on a set of drawers as he stared at it carefully. He had hoped to give it to her not only as a gift but, as an engagement ring. His thoughts raced back to the time he' first met Malene.

He'd met Malene almost a year and a half ago after he'd met with her father, Arnskar Snow-Song, about bringing his shop and business, Snow-Song Shipping, to Winterhold. Back then Winterhold had been as close to a ghost town as a city came. With most of the city having fallen into the Sea of Ghosts, there wasn't much of a city to look at. However, the Jarl came up with a brilliant plan to help encourage the growth of the Hold. The first step would be to establish the Winterhold Port which would be just outside town at an area where the cliff, which makes up Winterhold, slopes down and meets the sea. Next they'd bring in several businesses and trading companies, both foreign and domestic to help encourage trade and commerce. Lastly he planned to establish smaller fishing villages within the Hold as well as a few small inland hunting and mining villages. However, the Jarl's plans had a vital flaw; he didn't have the coin to undertake such an endeavor.

In this Ulrik had been a huge help. It was around this time that Ulrik had first come to Winterhold in search of work. He'd taken on a job in leading a group of men to Mount Anthor to kill a dragon. They'd done the job and even managed to all come back alive. After this the Jarl, seeing that Ulrik could of much use to the Hold, had him stay around to help out with a few other tasks around the hold. Some of these were small tasks such as looking into the disappearance of a fisherman, to exploring the Dwemer ruins of Alftand. The latter being the solution to the problem of gold. Ulrik realized the wealth that lay within the Dwemer ruins, both scholarly and financially. It was with this idea in mind that he proposed establishing a village near the ruins to house archaeologists and excavators of the raw Dwemer materials within the ruins. With Skyrim being at war with the Empire, no one was monitoring the export and import of Dwemer goods, which would prove beneficial to Winterhold. The Jarl however, figured that there would still be the problem of getting the Winterhold Port and the village established near the ruins initially funded and setup. Ulrik having acquired a small fortune with his saved up Legion earnings and from his adventuring days donated the vast majority of his coin to the Hold. After this he was named Thane of Winterhold and was even offered permanent residence within the new village, which began to prosper almost immediately, and a portion of the profits from the overall project. He accepted both of these and additionally asked for a small plot of land outside of town on which stood a small ancient Nord ruin.

Since then the village, named Ulrikstag, named after Ulrik, grew from just being a village for archaeologists and miners, to a bustling and thriving town. Armed expeditions frequently go into the ruins and generally come back successful.

The Jarl's plans for expansion continued a few months after the successful establishment of Ulrikstag, with the establishment of two small fishing villages, Yisra's Port and Winter's Port.

Yisra's Port was established on the site of some sort of explosion which took the life of a woman named Yisra, as was discovered at the scene and told by her journal.

Winter's Port was established off near the eastern banks where the sea meets the lands of Winterhold. It was established rather closely to the Wreck of the Winter War, which was renovated and enhanced to serve as a lighthouse, and barracks for the coastguards there.

The Jarl, seeing the prosperity of the Hold and the new formed villages wasted no expense and time on establishing inland villages, formally establishing Glenden, which was on a cliff overlooking the Sea of Ghosts to the North and near an ancient standing stone dubbed The Tower Stone, and Snow Veil, which was setup near the ancient Nordic Ruins of Snow Veil Sanctum.

Throughout all this Ulrik looked on at the amazement and growth that he had helped to establish. He wondered whether or not the other Holds would even notice their sudden expansion, but this thought was laid to rest soon after when a discussion with a merchant gave him all the answers he needed.

The other Holds, seeing the success of Winterhold began to pour vast amounts of resources into establishing more villages and to encourage growth. Like Winterhold it seemed all of Skyrim was going through a boom. What once was a Hold of less than fifty people living within its borders, swelled to well over a few thousand. This seemed to be a reoccurring theme with most of the other Holds. Indeed it made Ulrik feel as if he had accomplished another worthy deed in the eyes of his Ancestors.

Ulrik looked back at the sun and realized it was well past the horizon and that he'd better hurry less he face the wrath of being late to meet up with Malene.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Ulrik was making his way down the road to Winterhold, enjoying the weather that seemed to be a sign as to how the outcome of today would go. Halfway to Winterhold, he noticed what appeared to be a patrol of Stormcloaks headed his way.

The Jarl of Winterhold was a strong supporter of the Stormcloaks and had worked for years to keep the Imperial menace away from Winterhold. Although Ulrik had served in the Legion, he was conflicted over the situation in Skyrim. He sympathized with his Nord brothers and sisters over the mistreatment at the hands of the Empire. However, he also understood that the Empire needed all the help it could get simply to stay afloat and that Skyrim should help.

General Tulius and his men recently had grown more bold and had retaken Whiterun and made a move into the Rift. There were also rumors abound that the Stormcloaks were low on recruits in the North and were trying desperately to gather more troops.

All this seemed irrelevant to Ulrik except as the patrol got closer he noticed that it wasn't a patrol at all. There were 11 Stormcloaks making their way down the road, being led by Field Commander Kai Wet-Pommel. Kai was noticeable through his typical Stormcloak Officers Armor, which was made of some of the toughest leather and bear hides in all of Skyrim. As Field Commander, the Fort Commanders of Winterhold reported to him and he dispatched and allocated troops where he saw fit within the hold. Ulrik knew who they were looking for even before Kai said his greetings.

"Ulrik Ice-Mane! I bid you a fine welcome on this day brother!" Kai said when he got within vocal range.

"Field Commander Kai Wet-Pommel, how goes your war with the Imperials?" Ulrik replied.

"As a matter of fact it is over these matters that I wish to consult with you. I was hoping you might join me in the Officer's War Room back in the Jarl's Longhouse."

"I'm sorry but I have a very busy day ahead of me, and I'm late for an appointment already. So if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way." Ulrik said making his way past Kai and his escort.

"Ulrik this is serious. We need your help and expertise. You served with the legion for 10 years! You know how to fight and you know how to train others to fight in a professional army. We need people like you more than ever. Don't turn your back on Skyrim." Kai said as he rushed up to stand in front of Ulrik.

"Kai I understand what you mean. I also understand that you need people to help your cause, which I will say is a just one. However, I've left the fighting behind and am trying to just live a rather peaceful life out here in Winterhold." Ulrik said with thoughts of Malene running through his head.

"Will you at least do an old friend a favor and hear me out? If not now then perhaps tomorrow when you are less busy?"

"Kai I am almost 10 years your senior, and I've known you only a few winters. I doubt that would qualify as an old friend." Ulrik said with a sly grin.

"Not myself, but my father, Hrog. He spoke highly of you and of the times you shared together in the Legion."

Ulrik's mind stumbled at the thought of his dead and former comrade. Hrog had been about 6 or so years older than Ulrik and had been under his command back when he'd been a Legate in the 4th Legion. Hrog had been one of those men who'd gladly put away his bow to take out his sword and wade into the thick of battle. This characteristic spoke of his outlook towards life as well. Hrog had been one of the few people that Ulrik had numbered among his friends.

"Your father was a brave and honorable Nord. I was both sad and glad to hear he fell in battle when the Empire retook Whiterun. I'm sure he gave the Imperials a good thrashing before he finally left this world for Sovngarde. For his memory I will honor your request. I will walk with you into town and I will listen to your proposal."

"Thank you Ulrik." Kai said as they set off up the road to Winterhold. "As you more than likely heard, the Imperials have struck into the Rift. They overran our forward camp in Falkreath and marched through the mountain pass at the Rift's Western border. Our forces are holding out in Ivarstead, Treva's Watch, and Faldar's Tooth. The troops at Faldar's Tooth are stopping the Imperials from headed down the road to Riften itself. They're being pressed badly and our spies report a sizable amount of troops have left Whiterun headed east. We've no idea where they're headed, but we're assuming they're going to try and hit Windhelm to cut off the Rift from reinforcements."

"They're going to hit Winterhold." Ulrik said calmly. This prompted Kai and his escort to come to a halt.

"What makes you say such? Do you have information that leads you to this assumption?" Kai said shakily.

"It's a hunch. I served with General Tulius as did your father. His way of attack would be to try and take one hold at a time. However, by moving his army to the north and attacking Winterhold, he also threatens Windhelm's security. If Ulfric sends aid to the Rift, Tulius will react accordingly and more than likely will have this army swing south to hit Windhelm from the North, while his main army, which is no doubt hidden in Whiterun Hold, swoops up from the Southwest. However, if Ulfric doesn't send aid then Riften stands on its own and those troops from Whiterun will mostly harass the Winterhold-Whiterun border. It's a pretty bold move but a clever one none the less. Tell me Kai, what news from Hjaalmarch and the Pale?"

"We've not heard from our spies in Hjaalmarch and I'm not due to receive a report from the Field Commander in Dawnstar for another 2 days. Why do you ask?"

"Hmm, well in my opinion, I'd say to bolster your troops on the Whiterun border and send some patrols into the Pale. You might want to send a rider to Dawnstar just to see how everything is going. The Imperials are growing bolder everyday it seems and you'd had best be ready for anything. By the way Kai, I noticed the fleet that Ulfric had constructed. Not bad if I might add. Without that fleet the Imperials could land right on Ulfric's doorsteps without so much as a scratch on their Imperial Frigates. "

"I will send out more reinforcements and order that patrols be sent out immediately. Thank you for your advice. I really do mean what I said earlier that I require more men like you. The WinterGuard needs strong and seasoned leaders such as yourself."

"You've got plenty of leaders to help you out, as well as a lot of young boys willing to assume those roles." Ulrik said placing emphasis on the 'boys' segment of his comment.

"Well your right about the boys, but I really could use a man like you out on the western borders of Winterhold. I've need of a good Fort Commander to take charge of Fort Fellhammer."

And with that Ulrik's assumptions all played out. The young Field Commander was hoping to have him, a very influential person within the hold, to take charge of the Western borders and therefore not only would he have a seasoned Commander helping him, but he'd be able to draw more recruits with such an influential Commander.

"So you want me to take control of a fort to help you gain more recruits, is that it?" Ulrik stated accusingly.

"Well not entirely. The problem is that one of our Commanders out there recently took ill. The illness has pushed the old timer to the point where he no longer does nothing but remain in his bed all day. We need you out there. No one else has the experience or the intelligence that you possess. Plus I need someone out there I can trust. Someone I know will take charge if something happens."

"And what 'something' are you expecting?"

"I'm not sure. As you said yourself, the Imperials are growing bolder. I'd rather have a seasoned warrior at my back than a bunch of scared boys." Kai said

Both men broke out in laughter. Although Kai was young, he'd been trained ever since he was a boy by his father. He numbered among the few who could rightfully call himself a man in the WinterGuard.

"Plus, I want you to begin to train the troops out at the Forts to fight as an army fights, not like a bunch of barbarians wildly swinging axes in any which way. I'd really appreciate if you would consider this offer of mine."

Ulrik looked up as they neared the newly constructed stone walls of Winterhold. With the increase of income for the Hold, the Jarl felt that better protection was a wise investment. They'd been completed a few months back and look strong and sturdy. Guards patrolled the battlements and a pair stood by the open gates which led to the Hold Capitol. Beyond the gates he could see her. Her silk smooth blonde hair stood out on a beautiful day such as this. He saw her and thought of how she would react if he told her he was leaving to join the war. He longed to be with her and he wanted her to be his wife. However, he knew deep down that the Stormcloaks needed his help, and a part of him wanted to aid in the cause to free Skyrim. He was truly conflicted as to what course of action to take.

"I need to think a little over this. As I said my appointment awaits me up ahead. I will return to you tomorrow and inform you of my decision."

"Thank you Ulrik. Please consider this. I really need you out there."

With that, Kai Wet-Pommel and his escort walked off into the city. It was highly likely that Kai was headed to the Jarl's Longhouse to dispatch reinforcements and riders as Ulrik had suggested.

Ulrik stood there for a moment waiting for Kai and his men to head off past the gates and pondering on what to do. It was a few minutes before he realized that Kai was gone. He made his way through the gates and into the embrace of Malene.

"Well that took you long enough!" Malene stated rather impatiently.

"As you may have seen I was held up." Ulrik said referring to his walk with the Stormcloak Field Commander.

"I know I saw you all coming. Is everything all right? Did they give you any trouble?" she asked worriedly.

"No I'm ok, just talking about some things. Kai Wet-Pommel's father served under me back in our days in the Legion."

"I didn't know that. Was he a friend of yours?"

"Yes he was, a very good one at that. He came to me when the civil war broke out and tried to get me to join them. I turned him down. Now a part me wishes that I'd been with him in Whiterun fighting off Imperials. Maybe then he'd still be alive."

"Maybe, or maybe you'd be dead alongside him. If you'd gone to fight in the war I wouldn't have met you. There would be no us, and don't even get me started on the status Winterhold. Your decision has benefitted a lot of Nords, most of all me."

Malene's last statement had her blushing and Ulrik's heart jumping. Ulrik almost wanted to ask her to marry him right then and there, but he had a whole day planned with the perfect moment to top it all.

"Thanks for that Malene. It really makes me feel better. Oh by the way Happy Birthday!"

"Thanks Ulrik. So where's my gift?" Malene said jokingly.

"Well I've got the whole day planned out, and I've already talked to your father so your mine for the day. Shall we?" Ulrik motioned for her to take his arm.

They made their way via a private horse drawn carriage to a designated spot along the eastern shoreline where there was a neat little eating area set-up where they shared a nice lunch and talked about how her little brother Ingar really looked up to Ulrik.

Afterwards they made their way out to Snow Veil where Ulrik took her shopping for a new dress freshly imported from Hammerfell. They dined in a private room of Oncar's Old Tavern where the meal was rather delicious and the dancing was delightful.

They ended the night on the docks of the Winterhold Port holding each other and staring at the moon and the stars up above.

"I really enjoyed my day with you Ulrik. I couldn't have asked for a more perfect ending to a perfect day." She said before kissing him.

"Well it's not over yet." Ulrik said as he went down to one knee. He pulled out the ring which he'd been waiting to give her all day. "Malene, ever since I've met you I knew that no other woman would ever fill the loneliness in my heart. I love you Malene Snow-Song. Will you make me the happiest Nord alive and become my wife?"

Malene stood with tears forming in her eyes and smiling. She bent down and kissed Ulrik.

"Oh Ulrik I thought you'd never ask! Of course I'll…" she was cut off as the harsh shrill of a woman pierced the night.

Ulrik stood up and they both looked off to the direction from which the scream came. It appeared to have originated from the within the city, which now had smoke from fires rising up above it.

The sounds of steel ringing verified what Ulrik had been dreading. The war had finally reached Winterhold.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Ulrik closed his hand around Malene's, and he led her up to Winterhold's southern gate. As they approached the fires seemed to be originating from the western side of the city, which consisted mostly of residential buildings and the Jarl's Longhouse. He could hear the sounds of a battle which led him to assume that the WinterGuard were putting up a fight somewhere near the western gate. He'd have to take Malene to her family's home, she'd be safe there.

"Malene hold on tight and stay close ok?" Ulrik said as they ran through the southern gate. Malene nodded.

The pair made their way hastily through the streets of Winterhold until they finally neared the Snow-Song Manor. The manor stood two floors high with a basement level which was common in the structures of this part of Skyrim. Her house seemed untouched, and at the sight of the two running towards the door, Arnskar, Malene's father opened the door and greeted them outside.

"Malene! Oh thank Talos that you're ok. We were worried about you." the older man stated, as Malene's 5 year old brother, Ingar stepped outside.

"I'm ok father. Ulrik kept me safe, and I'm pretty sure he'll always keep me safe." Malene said showing her father the ring that was on her left hand.

"Well I'm glad to see he finally proposed but we can't celebrate right now. We need to get inside before those Imper-…"Arnskar's last words were cut short as an arrow struck him square in the chest.

"Father!" Ingar shouted out as he knelt next to his father's body.

Suddenly Ulrik wasn't standing outside of Snow-Song Manor, but he was back at the Battle of the Red Ring. He was 5 years old again and he was staring down at the body of Esken with a charred hole in his chest. He was crying at the sight of his dead brother. He was frozen in place and could not move. The sound of a woman yelling his name snapped him back to his senses.

"Ulrik! Snap out of it please Ulrik!" Malene shouted.

Ulrik looked in the direction from which the arrow had come. There stood a lone Imperial archer setting another arrow on his bow. Ulrik rushed him as the archer loosed his arrow straight for him. Ulrik sidestepped to the left and was easily able to avoid the arrow. A few feet from the archer Ulrik hurled himself at the archer. The archer fell under the weight as he was trying to unsheathe his sword. The archer scrambled to grab his sword, but Ulrik beat him to it. Ulrik took the sword out of its sheathe and ran it through the archer's gut.

Ulrik stood up and ran over to where Arnskar's body lay. The old man had some life left in him still.

"Hold on father!" Malene said.

"I don't have much time left in this world. Sovngarde is calling me. Listen up Ulrik, I want you to take care of my family. Snow-Song Manor is yours until Ingar becomes of age to be the new head of the Clan. Take care of my family Ulrik please I beg of you!"

"I will Arnskar, as Talos is my witness I will protect this clan and family as if it were my own. One day we shall meet each other again in the halls of Sovngarde. Rest easy now and go in peace." Ulrik said as he clasped the elder's arm in an embrace of respect and honor.

"Father you can't die not yet!" Ingar shouted.

"Young Ingar, you will grow to be a fine Nord, I'm just sad that I will not be with you in person to train you with a sword and how to sail. Look to Ulrik and he shall guide you on your path. He is a good man and an excellent warrior. I shall look upon you and Malene from Sovngarde." Arnskar proclaimed to his son. "Malene, be a good wife to Ulrik and be sure to take care of Ingar. Never forget that I love you both. Ulrik, I require your ear for something just before I go."

Ulrik bent in close to hear the dying man's words.

"Our clans have history. Seek out my study and kin, there is more to you than you know. Should you ever lose your path seek the sigil of the Lost Son of Harald."

With those last words, the Nord known as Arnskar Snow-Song, passed onto the next stage of his life, into the hall of Sovngarde to be at Shor's side.

Tears ran down Ingar and Malene's faces. Ulrik looked up, to the two of them. He grabbed them both and ushered them into the manor.

"Lock all the doors and bar all the windows. You open up for no one but me do you understand?" They both shakily agreed. "Ingar go and grab your father' sword from his armory, and then both of you hold down within, stay on the main floor as it will be easier to escape if need be. Ingar remember, a sword is not a toy, if the time comes, do not hesitate to use it to defend yourself and your sister. Your father's spirit watches over you. If you need to run, head south out of Winterhold towards my dwelling at Journeyman's Nook, Malene will know the way. Now go!"

With nods of approval they went in and did as were told. Ulrik with the imperial sword in his hand was about to make his way to the Western gate when he heard the sound of men approaching. He turned to see a group of about 15 men armed with sword's and axes. The group looked skittish with their weapons looking as if they'd never been used at all. A few of the men carried shields made of leather or iron. These men had never seen combat outside of the occasional mudcrab or skeever. He recognized a few of these men as sailors and employees of Arnskar's. One man in particular stood out. The red haired Nord of medium build named Helvder.

Helvder had been one of the men who'd accompanied Ulrik to slay the dragon a few years back. The experience had prompted Helvder to accompany Ulrik on several adventures and had led to the two becoming close friends. Unlike the rest of the men, he alone stood out as a fine warrior. Upon seeing the body of the dead patriarch of the Snow-Song family, the group quickly huddled around. Most let a tear fall, but just one, for more than that would dishonor this most respectable and caring man. Indeed Arnskar had been like a father to most of these men and had been one of the kindest men they'd ever met. Revenge on their minds they looked to Ulrik for guidance.

"Who has done this?" asked Helvder.

Ulrik held up the Imperial sword for all to see. "Those Imperial dogs have attacked our homes and claimed the lives of our neighbors. This cannot go unpunished. Follow me and we shall show these bastards to fear the rage of Nords!"

Shouts went up all around. Ulrik led the group towards the western gate. At this point the feelings of revenge and anger outweighed their lack of experience in battle and fears of death. These men were ready to give their lives if only to make one Imperial pay.

As they rounded the last house of the residential quarter the sights and sounds of battle were everywhere. Kai-Wet Pommel had his personal guard making a daring stand against 20 Imperials. The fight would not be long, so Ulrik let out a deafening war shout and charged headlong into the fray, followed closely by 15 enraged Nords.

Ulrik slashed the first Imperial he ran into, who was caught completely by surprise, across the gut, leaving his entrails on the ground. Another approached him from his left attempting to bash him with his shield. Ulrik stepped backwards and to his left away from the shield and sent a thrust aimed at the Imperial's armpit. The imperial parried Ulrik' thrust out wide and came at Ulrik with an overhand thrust aimed for Ulrik's neck. Ulrik sidestepped to his right which put him in front of the man's shield, which caught the soldier by surprise. Using this second of hesitation to his advantage, Ulrik swung at the man's arm and cleaved it just above the elbow. The Imperial dropped the shield and clutched at his missing limb, screaming in agony. Ulrik ended the man's life with a clean thrust into the man's chest.

By this point the battle was all but over. 12 Imperials lay dead on the ground, and 1 of Ulrik's group was bleeding from a gash in his thigh. Everyone else seemed to have faired well with the exception of the Stormcloaks who'd been killed in the initial onslaught. The surviving Imperials made a mad dash out of the western gates hoping they would not be chased down from behind.

Ulrik walked over to Kai who looked at him with smile of gratitude. "Sure glad that you showed up when you did." the young Commander stated.

"What happened here? How did they breach the city so quickly?" Ulrik questioned.

"They caught us by surprise. The guards were exchanging shifts when they struck. The two gate-guards and 4 tower sentries were taken out first. Then they spread out to try and hit the residential areas. I deployed 4 units to intercept them and block their routes to the inner parts of the town. We received reports that most had been killed. I gave the order for them to hold their positions while my men and I made our way here to try and catch them while they tried to flee. We got here where they had this small group to cover their retreat. I hadn't expected them here so we made a stand to try and prevent them from trying to make a second push into the city. The initial clash left 3 of my guard dead against their 20 or so men. Then you showed up to aid us."

"Well I'm glad I could be of help. What I want to know is how they were able to get this far into Stormcloak territory without alerting anyone. I'm assuming that this raiding party consisted of roughly 50 or so men. They couldn't have come this far east from Morthal, which means, they've taken Dawnstar and they've managed to fool your Fort Commanders and your troops on the border."

"If this is true then Tulius is planning to make a move into Winterhold. This raid must have been to see the limits of our forces in the North." Kai surmised.

"By the way things turned out tonight, I'd say that he'll be feeling pretty bold and you can expect more raids along the border and into some of the other villages."

"This isn't good." Kai said to himself. He summoned his guards. "Get word to the rest of the units protecting the route along the city. Tell them to return here to prepare to charge after the Imperials. We can't let them escape." They were turning to take off when Ulrik intervened.

"Hold on Kai, you may want to rethink that order. It's well past sunset so tracking them may be harder than expected, and what if they have reinforcements lying in wait. This could leave the city vulnerable."

"What would you recommend I do then, Fort Commander?" Kai stated with a sly smile on his face. He'd baited Ulrik with his false orders, testing Ulrik's intelligence and tactics. Furthermore, he'd put Ulrik in the position of respect, being surrounded by the group he'd just fought with, they'd be looking to him for guidance and would most likely be looking to join the Stormcloaks under Ulrik's command.

Knowing he'd been caught, and with a smile of his own, he said, "Have the units already in the city patrol to ensure that there aren't any more Imperials skulking about the streets. The units which you've posted on the Southern gate should remain there. My men and I will cover this gate in the meantime. As for the fleeing Imperials, will have to live for tonight. We'll have to bolster our forts along the border as soon as possible." The part about 'his men' made the spirits of his new unit soar upwards.

"Well said Commander." He said to Ulrik. He didn't have to tell his guards to obey they knew and were already underway. Kai approached Ulrik and spoke privately with him. "Glad to see you'll be taking me up on my offer."

"Well its not like I had much of a choice. Nice move though. You're definitely your father's son." Ulrik said. "However, after this night I would've taken up your offer regardless."

"Is that so? It's sad that this is what made you join us but I will feel better having a man of your wisdom and experience aiding our cause."

"Bah, I've already joined so there's no use trying to butter me up. Now what fort am I to be taking charge of and how many units will I have?"

"Well you'll be taking charge of Fort Fellhammer out on the border with the Pale. As for the troops there, well there's one unit already manning it, but that's about all I can give you."

"You want me to hold the fort along an enemy border with only 15 men?! I'll need at least one other unit to help with daily patrols and sentry duties, not to mention the other duties required with the maintenance of a fort. How am I to pull this off?"

Having been eavesdropping to their conversation, Helvder stepped in. "Hate to be stepping in on your conversation, but you've got another unit willing and ready to go where you need us Commanders."

"Helvder what are you talking about?" Ulrik questioned.

Helvder pointed out to the men who'd fought alongside him just minutes before. "I think I speak for the group when I say, we're ready to do our part for Skyrim. For too long we've been content to just stay here where it's safe living our lives working the docks. We want to help protect Winterhold and free Skyrim!"

With that a cheer went out from the men acknowledging the words of Helvder. Ulrik smiled at that and turned back to Kai.

"How soon can you outfit this unit in armor?"

"I can pull a squad to start handing out the armor to your unit immediately. It will take an hour or so." Kai replied.

Ulrik looked to the men, his men. "Alright Kai make it so. We'll hold here until you send a unit to relieve us, then we'll meet you at the barracks."

"Alright Commander, I'll expect for you all to head out to your new post at sunrise. I'll meet with you shortly before then to give you a quick briefing. After your men are outfitted have them take the night to be with their loved ones."

Ulrik nodded and said quietly to Kai, "Thank you for that." Kai knowing full well that he meant thanks on behalf of his men and on the behalf of Malene as well, nodded and made his way to the barracks.

Ulrik went to speak to his men who were gathered near the gates. They looked in good shape, with exception of the man who'd be sliced at the thigh. They'd managed to stop the bleeding and were tending to the wound. With some help from a mage and a potion or two he'd be up and about by the next day.

"Alright men, many of you may know me many of you may not. In the coming days and weeks I shall make it my mission to know each and everyone of you. You all are under my command and as such I will make it a point to keep each and everyone of you alive. This is war and there will be casualties, but I will never give up on you so long as you never lose faith or trust in me." They all nodded their approval.

"Helvder, I'm giving you command of this unit. Are there any objections?" No one disagreed. "Good, send for a mage from the college. I need this man's leg tended to immediately. The rest of you get these gates closed and barred. I need 2 sentries on the left tower and 2 on the right. Be sure you keep your eyes peeled and readied. If any sentry notices anything don't hesitate to raise the alarm. The rest of you keep your weapons at the ready. Any questions?"

"No sir!" was the response all around.

"Get to it then." The men all went about their business. A few minutes passed by when a soldier approached from one the streets coming from the center of town.

"I come from the Jarl. Who commands here?"

Ulrik stepped up. "I do, what does the Jarl command?"

"Jarl Korir wants to know the status of the Western gate." the messenger said.

"You may tell the Jarl that me and my men are holding the Western gate and the Imperial force that was here has been dispatched."

The messenger nodded and went on his way. It was another half hour before a unit arrived to relieve Ulrik's unit. They made their way to the barracks which had once been the tavern of Winterhold, The Frozen Hearth. The owner, Dagur, gladly relocated to the much larger building set up as the primary tavern near the residential quarters on the Northern side of the town. The tavern had been renovated to fit the uses of an army. A small lookout tower had been added which connected directly to the inside of the barracks. The rooms on the main floor were now used to house 5 small beds with a small chest for each bed. Additional rooms had also been added cutting out much of the unused space of the main dining area. The cellar was used as the armory. The Jarl's Longhouse was in the same spot it had been all those years ago and was positioned directly across the barracks. Kai Wet-Pommel awaited them outside the barracks.

"Come on in so we can get you your armor. We're trying to become a more professional army so we're outfitting all of our troops the same, with your unit Captain having a hide helmet versus the traditional Stormcloak helmet, and your Fort Commander with a Scaled helmet. Other than that, the rest of the armor is the same, fur gloves and boots, and a Stormcloak cuirass. All of you will require a bow, and your choice of weapons if you have one already you may use that or search the armory for another."

It was another half hour before all was completed. Ulrik picked out a finely crafted steel longsword, a sturdy hide shield, and a quiver with about 30 steel arrows. He'd be using his personal Nordic Longbow which he'd recovered from the ruins of Snow Veil Sanctum. He waited for all his men to leave and went outside where he was greeted by Kai.

"All ready to head out?" Kai asked.

"I'll have to train the men a bit more, but all looks good. I need a favor however."

"Anything." Kai said quickly.

"You know my dwelling at Journeyman's Nook correct? I would like for you to have some men go and install a door to the entrance, nothing fancy just something to keep out unwanted guests. Do you think you can handle that?"

"Definitely, I'll have it done and make sure that the patrols check up on it every few days or so. Anything else Ulrik?"

"Yeah, just one other thing." He said as he look at Kai. "Look out for my family."

Kai nodded his approval and the two exchanged a farewell. Kai went back inside to oversee his men. Ulrik was about to make his way back to Journeyman's Nook when the Jarl opened the door to his longhouse and stepped out to meet Ulrik.

"Ulrik Ice-Mane! I knew one day you'd be joining the cause! How proud I am to see you wearing the uniform of Skyrim's true sons." Jarl Korir proclaimed.

"My Jarl, what can I do for you on this night?" Ulrik asked most respectfully.

"Nothing, I just wish to bring condolences on behalf of Winterhold at the loss of Arnskar. I know that you and his daughter, Malene, are likely to be getting married, so I wished to bestow upon you a gift."

Ulrik looked upon him with a confused look on his face. "I require nothing my Jarl."

"Do not give me that. Besides this is something that has been long overdued. Barri, will you please come out here?"

A female nord clad in steel armor with a steel shield appeared from the longhouse. "Yes my Jarl?" the woman asked.

"From here on out I make you the Housecarl of Thane Ulrik Ice-Mane. May you protect him, his family and all he owns for so long as he lives."

"It will be my honor, my Jarl."

"Jarl Korir, I thank you for this gift. I will feel much more relieved knowing that I will have a capable person to look after my family. You have my thanks." Ulrik said.

"No, my son, you have done more for this Hold than any reward I could ever give you. I hope that you will return to us after Skyrim is under the rule of the true High King."

"I will my lord. Again I thank you."

The Jarl nodded and went back within his longhouse. Barri looked to Ulrik and asked, "Where to my thane?"

"I need to get some things from my dwelling in Journeyman's Nook. Come with me there and then we shall return to Snow-Song Manor."

The roundtrip took another hour. Ulrik finally arrived back at the manor a few hours past midnight. He was greeted by Malene and Ingor. The two looked exhausted and beat. He briefly introduced them to Barri and explained the situation.

"So you're going to be leaving me? Why? I thought you loved me? I thought that you were going to stay here with us!" Malene said.

"I do love you Malene, but in order to protect you I have to do this. The Stormcloaks need me. If I don't go out to the border, another night like this may happen. I will not allow that." Ulrik said firmly.

Ingor stood up and looked at Ulrik. "I understand Ulrik." The young boy stated. "I know why you're doing this. I'm sure father would have understood as well. Sis he has to do this. Father would want him to do this. I'll protect this house while he is gone. I'll start training with father's sword and get stronger."

"I'll help you with that young one." Barri added. Everyone looked at the woman, somewhat taken aback by her statement. "I am tasked with protecting my Thane and in so doing protecting you. I will also train you to fight as a Nord fights, at least until such time that Thane Ulrik returns. Is this satisfactory for you my Thane?"

"It is indeed Barri. Thank you." Ulrik got up from the table where they'd been sitting. "Now everyone off to bed, I must be off early tomorrow and you all will have to get preparations underway for the burial of your father. Plus, someone is going to have to keep Snow-Song Shipping up and running. Don't worry I'll be back before you all know it." Ulrik said with a smile.

They all made their way to their rooms. Ulrik and Malene went off to her room. They lay in bed for some time simply staring at each other. Ulrik recited a poem of love to lull Malene into a peaceful sleep. He awoke a few hours later and left leaving Malene a kiss on her forehead as he did so.

Ulrik approached the barracks and was surprised to see his men were already assembled outside of the barracks, in their new armor. They stood at attention as he approached. Captain Helvder approached and saluted with his right arm across his chest.

"Commander, the men are here and accounted for and are awaiting the orders to march." Helvder stated.

"Thank you Captain. You all were supposed to be here for another hour or so." Ulrik said.

"Apparently, sir, most of us couldn't sleep. I arrived here shortly after Ungthr, the man who was wounded last night, who was here first."

Ulrik looked at his men. They all seemed ready and willing to march off in defense of their land. "A fine morning we're having. I need a few minutes with Field Commander Kai-Wet Pommel and then we'll be off. Rest here until then."

Ulrik entered the Jarl's Longhouse and made his way to the Field Commander's Headquarters. He entered to see Kai reading over some reports on the map of Skyrim laid out on the table. He looked up to see Ulrik in his Stormcloak armor and Scaled Helmet. He smiled and said, "It seems you were right about the Pale. Frorkmar Banner-Torn has been slain and the Imperials are in control of the Pale. I'm assuming that as of right now all the forts in the hold have fallen into enemy hands. We were also unable to prevent the Imperials from last night from crossing the border. However, we did discern that they came through a narrow pass northwest of Fort Driftshade, formerly Driftshade Refuge. I'm going to be having the Commander at Driftshade to post a squad or two to be posted there at all times. Furthermore, I was having a unit dispatched to reinforce Fort Driftshade, which is going to be redirected to Frostflow Lighthouse. They're going to be reconverting it into a small fort. I'll hopefully be able to start recruiting and training more troops and I'll send reinforcements there first to help bolster the defense of the northern villages. Now onto more pressing matters, you will be taking charge of our highest priority fort. How you run it is up to you, however, I will ask to be given weekly reports as to anything of value, which I leave up to you. I will also expect regular patrols be sent out into the Pale and Whiterun. Keep me updated and if you need anything let me know. Your first assignment of course is to get to your new post. However, I'll need you to link up with the unit I dispatched to Fort Driftshade and inform them of the change of plans. If you leave now, you can catch them in Ulrikstead, and march out with them to Frostflow and then onto Fort Fellhammer. Do you have any questions?"

"Just one, do you ever get tired of talking?" Ulrik said. Both men broke out in laughter.

"Ulrik you never cease to amaze me. Take care my friend and travel safely."

Ulrik went outside where his newly assembled unit was waiting. "We're headed to Fort Fellhammer. First, however, we need to link up with a unit in Ulrikstead and deliver some new orders for them. We'll have to move double time." He looked around and saw no objections. "Very well, let us be off. Oh and by the way, welcome to the WinterGuard."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The cold winds bit at the pieces of exposed flesh of the newly minted Stormcloak unit that had marched out of Winterhold's western gates with the rising of the sun mere hours before. The sun's light and warmth drove off the frigidness of the early morning chill and with it the new found courage that had emboldened these new Stormcloaks to take up the cause of their fellow Nord brothers. With the Empire's bold deep into Stormcloak territory, the ranks of the Stormcloaks was undoubtedly going to be bolstered by fresh recruits such as this unit marching along to the town of Ulrikstead. At its helm, Ulrik Ice-Mane was a stalwart figure leading his men to their first posting and assignment as a unit.

"Hey Ulrik… I ugh mean Commander Sir no, Fort Commander… May I pose a question?" Captain Helvder fumbled.

"Commander will do Helvder and yes you may pose a question." Ulrik responded.

"What exactly are our orders? You said we would be linking up with another unit and redirect them but after that?"

"Well Captain," Ulrik started but stopped. "Order the unit to stop. They could use a break and it will give me a chance to go into greater detail about our orders."

"Of course Commander." Helvder raised his right hand with a closed fist, the signal to cease marching. "Everyone gather round and relax for a bit. The Commander will be explaining our orders, so listen well."

"Thank you Captain." Ulrik addressed the 15 men now assembled in a rough circular pattern around him. They'd made a good deal of progress and were only another hour from their first stop, Ulrikstead. Indeed Ulrik was impressed with the unit's stamina. For their lack of military training and discipline, they were at least one step in the right direction.

"Our orders are firstly to make contact with a unit that was dispatched late yesterday. They should be at Ulrikstead and our orders are to escort them and their supplies to Frostflow Lighthouse, which is to be converted into a make shift oupost to help aid the northern coasts of Winterhold. From there we will be moving on to Fort Driftshade to inform the Commander there that his reinforcements have been put on hold until a fresh unit can be dispatched. After that we make the last leg of our journey to our new post, Fort Fellhammer. I've been given free clearance to do with my new force what I deem fit to thwart the Imperials and protect our borders. While we are there, I plan on training you properly to fight as a unit. Some of you may be having some questions about what life in a fort is like. I will not lie, it will be rigorous. Due to our location on the very border of our territory, we will be the first line of defense against an invasion. As such all of us will be forced to sacrifice a lot. That includes sleeping a few hours every night, helping to maintain the fort, hunting for food, daily patrols, possible skirmishes with the Imperials, and having to squeeze training into all that. I know this overwhelming, but we must prepare ourselves physically and mentally if we are to survive." Ulrik looked around at his men, his speech had not shaken their resolve in the slightest. They were determined to not let their wondrous city of Winterhold down.

"Well, let us be off. We are a mere hour away from our first destination so let us push on."

The unit embarked at an even faster pace than before they had taken their break. Their pace was such that they made it to Ulrikstead in half the time that Ulrik figured it would take, and at a good time, for as they were approaching the gates of Ulrikstead, the unit was barely on its way out. The unit's captain ordered a halt and made his way towards Ulrik and his men. Noticing Ulrik's helmet he quickly saluted.

"Commander! I am Captain Tolor. How may I help you sir?"

"Greetings Captain, I am Fort Commander Ulrik Ice-Mane. It is good that I have found you, or rather you have approached me. I bring news from Winterhold."

"Ahh news, we set forth from the capitol last evening as the sun was nearing its rest. Are we being recalled?" the captain asked.

"Unfortunately not my brother. Last night the Imperials raided Winterhold City! They killed many men and civilians."

"What?! How could they get so far without anyone noticing a thing?!"

"Sadly it seems that the Pale has fallen into the Empire's hand. It seems they were able to sneak across the border without anyone noticing via a small pass that leads right past Frostflow Lighthouse."

"Damn those Imperial bastards. Does this change our previous orders?"

"Yes it does, we will escort you to Frostflow Lighthouse, after purchasing some additional supplies, where you and your unit will begin construction of an outpost to help guard against further invasions and to help aid the northern coasts."

"Wet-Pommel wants me to maintain the northern coasts with one unit! Is he insane!?"

"I'm sure he's far from it. Listen the ranks of the WinterGuard are already starting to swell with new recruits. Commander Wet-Pommel plans to bolster all of our border postings. He also has plans to convert the lighthouse into a fort. This means you'll be getting a promotion and more troops. Think of this initial hardwork, not as a setback but as a step towards a larger force under your command."

"Bah I'm not one for having a huge army to control. However, I do like the prospects of being able to maintain my own fort and to help watch the northern coasts if I'm allotted more men. How fast do you think he can get us more units?"

"I'm thinking a week before he can train a dozen captains or so. Add another week to give some units some basic training and we could be looking at reinforcements within the fortnight."

"Well that's good I'd bet. However, where are we to get the funds for supplies? Last I checked, I wasn't given a bag of gold for expenses on this posting."

The two soldiers laughed. Ulrik reached for his belt and took hold of a bag and jiggled it. The sound of gold jingling resonated. "The Jarl has seen fit to aid us in our cause."

"Well, let us be on with it. You think we'll have enough Commander?"

"I'm sure this will be plenty. Have your men follow us to go and fetch supplies."

It took them an hour to load all the supplies into 3 horse drawn carriages. From there it was an hours walk to Frostflow Lighthouse. Surprisingly, the horses and carriages gave them very little trouble along the way. After reaching their destination, the two units bid farewell and safe travels and went their separate ways. Ulrik and his men began the journey to Fort Driftshade and were there within 2 hours. Upon approach, a tall wooden wall met them. A guard from a tower near the gate hailed them.

"Who goes?" the guard shouted.

"I am Fort Commander Ulrik Ice-Mane here to speak with the commander of this fort with news from Winterhold and Kai Wet-Pommel."

The gates opened up and a captain approached him and saluted. "Commander Ice-Mane it's an honor sir. I've sent for my Commander, Vorn Shatter-Shield."

"Thank you Captain. We'd come in but we have other matters that we must also attend to. Unfortunately our meeting will be brief." Ulrik said thinking on the Commander's name. "Tell me Captain, is your commander of any acquaintance with the Shatter-Shield clan of Solitude?"

"He is at that, sir. He split off from his clan at the start of the war choosing loyalty to his country than to profit; unlike his brother I'm afraid."

"Thank you. I'll be sure not to bring up the topic around him then." Ulrik said eyeing the approach of Commander Vorn, a tall bald headed Nord with a thick grey beard and arms the size of a tree trunk. He carried a massive hammer strapped to his back and looked to be in his late 40s.

"Greetings Commander Vorn, I am Fort Commander…"

"Save me the introductions. We both have business to attend to. Tell me where, is my unit that was being sent to me as reinforcements?" Commander Vorn said.

Ulrik explained the situation to the fullest and left out no detail. When he had completed his explanation, Vorn stood there silent for a minute. He then spoke with a voice of anger directed at anyone in the vicinity.

"So you mean to tell me that we lose the Pale, then Winterhold gets slapped in the face and that runt of a commander, Kai Wet-Pommel, decides to go on the defensive?! We should be mounting raids of our own into enemy lands! We should be preparing a force to retake the Pale and Whiterun! He's as bad as his idiot of a father who lost Whiterun after we captured it!"

With that last insult to his close friend, Hrog Wet-Pommel, who'd been killed when the Empire retook Whiterun, Ulrik snapped. "Listen here Vorn Shatter-Shield! You may be nearly 20 years my senior, but I will not have you speak ill of my fallen brother! Hrog served under me for nearly 10 years and for several campaigns during our days in the legion and you and I both know there was no possible way for him to have been able to hold Whiterun against the force that the Imperials threw at him. As for his son, he's young, but he's a good head on his shoulders and veterans like yourself and I to help him. If Ulfric thinks he can get the job done then that's fine by me. However, my orders were just to inform you of these latest developments and I have. With that I bid you farewell and may Talos guide you and watch over you."

Commander Vorn stayed standing there speechless and merely smirked as Ulrik and his men marched off. His captain approached him.

"Commander is everything alright?"

"It is. Commander Wet-Pommel is a fool, but this one is different. This Ice-Mane, I've heard talk of his deeds and his service to the Empire. That one is a seasoned warrior. Let's see how he fares out here. Maybe he may begin to give Kai some backbone."

Ulrik and his men arrived at Fort Fellhammer a mere half an hour after the fiery exchange at Fort Driftshade. Upon arrival at the fort, Ulrik noticed that his new post required some major upkeep. There were holes in several places of the walls. The gate had been removed so that anyone could walk in. The lone lookout tower which sat above the Commander's quarters, had no form of protection for the sentries on duty. The only positive thing was the mine, which had an entrance located underneath the Commander's quarters and which housed the soldiers. The mine could be used to mine some stone for the repairs of the fort and iron which could be smelted for weapons.

As his unit approached the guard on duty saluted. "Commander! I take it you are here to take charge sir?"

"I am. Where is your captain?" Ulrik asked.

"He is up in the lookout post I'll summon him sir."

"Good. After you've completed that, round up all the other men in your unit. I will address all of the men under my command at once."

"Yes sir!" the young soldier saluted and went off as commanded.

They made their way into the fort's open area. Ulrik noted that apart from a small stable to house 2 horses at most, there was nothing else of note in the courtyard area of the fort, which offered more room for mobility during an attack, and could be used to train troops within the confines of the walls rather than outside, which would leave them vulnerable to enemy patrols.

"Captain Helvder, your first task is to break up your unit into three 5 man squads which will be led by one squad leader. You will lead one squad yourself. Then assemble them swiftly in the courtyard. Is that clear?"

"Of course Commander, as you command." Helvder went about talking and dividing the men into squads which seemed well balanced, being sure to offset each one to be able to take on any challenges and ensuring that it had a capable leader.

Ulrik went onto the battlements and ran into the captain of the unit posted here.

"Captain Rorik reporting for duty Commander Ice-Mane." The captain announced.

"Ah you know who I am already? Did word reach you or have I met you before?" Ulrik asked.

"Neither sir. I recognized your clan mark on your arm. Its not known as some of the other Nord clan sigils are but I've heard of your deeds and the echos of your name and the sigil which is on your right arm."

Ulrik had almost forgotten of the sigil his clan, which was the head of a wolf with the fangs of a saber donning a crown. He had gotten it in honor of being given his first command back in the legion. He'd always assumed that his clan had been a small one with little in the way of land or title, and had only recognized the symbol via the mention of it from his brother back when he was a young boy. Being as how his parents had died shortly after his birth, he never really was able to find out more about it.

"The Ice-Mane sigil eh? Well it's good that you've heard of me. I hope that this will make it easier for you and your unit to serve under me."

"You have no worries with me Commander. My men are ready to follow all of your orders. We are yours to command."

"That's good captain. My first order for you is to divide your unit into three, five man squads. You will assign each squad a squad leader, and you will personally lead one squad. After that, assemble them in the courtyard next to the unit that just arrived. Clear?"

"Right away sir, and if I may Commander? It will be an honor to serve under you."

Ulrik simply nodded at that last statement. For a Fort Commander, there was nothing better than have men who liked you right from the start. It made it easier to work with them. He waited a few minutes and looked back over at the courtyard. Both units had been assembled into 3 rows according to their squads. The Captains stood in the center of the first row and a full foot ahead of the other troops under their command. The sight made Ulrik smile.

"For those of you who don't know me, I am Ulrik Ice-Mane. As of today I will be your new Commander. As your commander I will make it my mission to get to know each of you and to make sure that you know me. We have some major work that needs to be done. Last night, Winterhold was attacked. We lost some good men and intelligence shows that the Pale has fallen to the Empire. We will have to be on our guard at all times. Our first priority will be to get some stone to fix up the walls around here and to install a proper gate. We will also need to get patrols sent out daily both into the Pale and north along the border. To do this more effectively, I've asked your captains to divide you all into squads. This will ensure that all of you will contribute to the daily routines of maintain this post. However, to effectively work as a squad, you must know how to operate as one. So if your squad is not on patrol, guard duty, or repairing the fort, you will be undergoing training exercises under me to ensure maximum squad coordination. Is that understood."

A collective 'Yes Sir!' went up from all the troops.

"Good well for now, I want to speak to all the squad leaders. The rest of you who just arrived here with me, get to know your new brothers and get acquainted with the fort."

The troops all went into the mine and the squad leaders made their way up to the battlements where Ulrik stood. Ulrik had each of them introduce themselves. There were six of them total, Harik, Jorgen, Efrin, Ungthr, Rorik and Helvder.

"As squad leaders, you'll have to be responsible for the lives of your squad. Each of you will be given a task that varies from day to day to ensure that your men do not get restless. For tonight Ungthr's squad will take the first guard watch, Helvder your squad will take the second. The rest of you all will rest for tomorrow each of you will have your duties. Ungthr your squad will take to the mines first thing in the morning. Helvder you men will move to training drills in the courtyard. Jorgen your men will take up the guard duty until noon. You all will then rotate until each of you has completed one turn at each post, understood?"

They all nodded. "Now you may be wondering why the unit that just arrived has all the duty's here in the fort. Simply put they're a newly formed unit so they need the most training. You 3 squads that have been posted here longer are more comfortable with each other and have had some basic training. As such first thing in the morning, Rorik you will take your squad and patrol west of here into the Pale and scout out the nearby fort of Dunstad, I need to know if it is in enemy hands or not. Harik take your men south through the mountain pass and patrol the road that leads to Whiterun and to the eastern holds. Efrin take your squad and patrol north along the border with the Pale. I want all squads to be back in by noon to report on your findings, grab some food and rest for an hour, then be out for the afternoon patrol of the same routes. While on patrol if you run across any Imperials, exercise your best judgement on the situation. If you can catch them by surprise and finish them quickly do so. I don't want any loses, clear?"

Again there was a consensus of nods. "Good then head off to your duties for the evening. Captain Rorik, would you mind showing me where all of the forts supplies are located so that I can take a look at what we're dealing with?"

"Of course Commander, right this way if you will."

Ulrik followed him into the mines which split off into three directions. They took the leftmost path and ended up in a storage room with barrels, crates, and sacks of supplies. There was also a make shift furnace and cooking pot for preparing meals. However, to his dismay, most of storage containers were empty. He took into account the amount of food and figured that at half rations, they would be out within a week.

"Is something wrong commander?"

"Well the lack of food is one thing that will not help our cause. But no need to worry we'll figure something out. Have a good night Captain."

Rorik nodded and went off to be with his men. Ulrik explored the mines and found that the rightmost path at the entrance led to a deeper part of the mines where there was a blacksmith's area setup as well as much stone and iron to be mined. The path that led directly straight at the three-way turnoff led to the quarters which were not much in the way of privacy, just a bunch of beds and sleeping pads scattered around to accommodate as many as needed. Ulrik made his way back up to his quarters.

His private quarters were quite nice. There was a tall four tiered bookshelf, with some books still on its shelves, a desk with a descent supply of paper and quills and ink, a large map of Skyrim on a board adorned the wall opposite the desk and the door, and opposite of the bookshelf on the far side of the room was comfy looking bed with a chest and drawer on either side of it. Ulrik took some time and surveyed the map. It looked identical to the one that Kai had in his war room. There was a few books scattered on the shelves which Ulrik figured he might go through and read later. Ulrik pulled out the chair and sat down on it facing the map. He sat there planning how he would retake the Pale if he had the forces. He fell asleep halfway through sieging Dawnstar by land and sea.

Ulrik awoke early the next morning with more sleep than he'd had in a while. He was glad to see Helvder and his squad in the courtyard ready for training. He started them off with simple formations such as fighting when surrounded, single file patrolling to help cover their numbers, scattered patrolling to maximize defense and area, and what he called the "three by two" formation, which utilized the 3 stronger members of a squad as a frontline with the 2 faster and more agile members of the squad 3 paces behind the front line to outflank and outmaneuver enemies, as well as to guard against hidden enemies. From here he had the practice their team attack and defense so as to maximize their teamwork. He showed them how to quickly double up on an opponent's momentary opening to put him out of commission. He also showed them how to notice when an ally was vulnerable and how to best react to help cover his ally's weak spot. He finished off their training for the day by going through a series of strike combination and parries with a variety of weapons. At this point it was nearing noon and the patrols were coming back in.

Efrin returned first. "Sir we went up the border and found a group of Imperials setting up a forward camp just within our hold. We thought about launching a few arrows their way but we counted 2 or so units in the area. We also saw a wagon coming through a pass that leads directly to Dawnstar. The camp is about a quarter of an hour's journey from Frostflow Lighthouse." Efrin reported.

"That's great work Efrin. I'll have to send a dispatch to Kai Wet-Pommel to request immediate reinforcements be sent to Frostflow. When you head back out for your afternoon patrol see if you can find any ways to cut off the Imperials from Dawnstar and if there are any apparent weaknesses in the camp's layout."

Efrin nodded and headed off to meet up with his squad. During this time both Rorik and Harik had returned. He met with both of them in his quarters. Harik gave his report first.

"We ran into some Imperial patrols just as we were crossing the border into the Pale. The first was a small three man squad which we easily dispatched. The second was slightly larger and had about six. Thankfully we met up with a patrol from Driftshade and only 2 Imperials escaped the ambush. We followed them south until we came upon their outpost at some old ruins. We couldn't tell how many troops were stationed there but they had a wooden wall encompassing the entire area. We also saw signs of fresh wagon tracks on the road that leads from Whiterun to Dawnstar. My guess is that Whiterun is moving supplies up to the Pale for some campaign of sorts."

"Good job Harik. Try and get me an accurate number of troops at the outpost, and if you run across any wagons that have supplies bring them back. If they're empty don't risk it. How did you fare, Rorik?"

"Bad news I'm afraid. Fort Dunstad is in Imperial control. They have about three units in the fort that we observed. A few patrols went out to the north and south but kept some distance from crossing the border. We also saw a rider take off up the road to Dawnstar. That's about all we were able to see."

"Hmm by chance Captain were you able to tell where they kept their supplies such as food and drink?"

"I believe so. It seemed like they were storing it in a makeshift tavern of sorts near the gate. Why?"

"I think we may have found a solution to our food shortage problem. Captain hold your squad from patrol and have them rest up. I'll be needing them for tonight."

The squad leaders nodded and went off onto their assigned tasks. Ulrik took this time to go out and get the next squad, this one under Jorgen, started on the training excercises. Again they underwent the same sets of drills and formations that the previous squad had gone through. After he finished with this squad he had Ungthr's squad go through the same process. He also had Jorgen's squad start patching up the holes in the walls with the stone that had been mined throughout the day. By the time the day was coming to an end, all the holes in the walls had been sealed up tightly and all that was left to fix was the gate, and the lookout tower walls.

As the patrols returned he assigned Efrin's squad to evening guard duty and the same guard duty schedule as the night before, except that Helvder's squad was to switched out by Jorgen's squad.

"Helvder get your squad rested, tonight you all to join myself and Rorik's squad for a little visit into the Pale."

"Yes sir!" Helvder acknowledged.

As dusk turned to night and night turned to midnight, Ulrik, accompanied by both Rorik and Helvder's squads made their way across the border armed with bows, torches, and oil. They crept up onto a nearby cliff and as one set their arrow tips alight with oil and fire, and loosened two volleys into the Imperial Fort. Helvder's squad targeted the tavern while Rorik's squad targeted seemingly random locations of the fort to try and get anything that looked flammable burning. After their second volley, seeing that the tavern was very much ablaze and practically burned down they quickly and quietly made their exit.

As they entered the confines of their fort Ulrik looked over to Rorik and said, "When you see the riders headed out tomorrow don't stop them."

The next day two riders were seen leaving Fort Dunstad, one headed north towards Dawnstar, the other south on the road to Whiterun. Two days later, Ulrik, along with Harik and Helvder's squads lay in wait along a cliff overlooking the road from Whiterun. Their prey passed beneath them, a wagon with what appeared to be food and a guard of 5 Imperial soldiers. Ulrik and his men raised their bows and at once fired their arrows each aimed at a soldier. Before the wagon driver could speed off, Helvder's squad had the wagon surrounded and subdued the driver. They sent him on his way unharmed and scavenged the Imperials for anything useful that could be used or smelted for other uses. They returned to the fort an hour later with the wagon in tow. In the courtyard as they entered was another wagon with a few sacks of food and what appeared to be a crate of iron ingots, two crates of quarried stone, and a chest of healing potions.

"So I'm guessing that your hunt was a fortunate one Efrin and Ungthr?"

The two squad leaders smiled. "It was quite rewarding." Efrin stated.

"Good job everyone. We need to get these food supplies unloaded and stored into the storage in the mines. I need one squad to begin smelting the iron ingots for the gate and another squad to get these stones set up on the lookout tower. Whatever we have left of the stones put back into the wagon. Don't forget the chest with potions, those will be very useful. Again great job and don't forget that our cause is a just and worthy one! Talos will watch over us and help us prevail over the Empire!"

A collective shout went up all around. Ulrik went up to his quarters and sat at his desk. He began writing his report for Kai Wet-Pommel explaining the situation and what had transpired so far. He summed it up nicely and rolled up the parchment and tied a knot on it with some string. He went outside where the men were hard at work setting up some protection walls on the lookout tower.

"Rorik!" He shouted out at the captain who was overseeing the unloading of supplies.

He ran up the battlements to where Ulrik was standing. "Yes Commander?"

"I need you to get one of the horses taken off of the wagon and get one man to deliver a message Field Commander Kai Wet-Pommel in Winterhold."

"Right away sir."

"Tell him to take off immediately and have him stay the night in Winterhold at the barracks then have him return first thing in the morning."

Rorik nodded and picked out the young Nord who'd been on guard duty the day Ulrik had first arrived.

Ulrik looked out at the work that he'd done in improving the fort and getting these men battle ready. He also had struck a blow at cutting off supplies from a nearby enemy fort. Indeed he had gotten a good start to his career with the Stormcloaks.

From on high one of his soldiers shouted to him, "Sir we've used only one crate of the quarried stone what shall we do with the other?"

"Load it onto the wagon Jorgen, and have your squad escort it to Frostflow Lighthouse, they'll be needing those supplies. Spend the night there, I don't want you all traveling at night. Come back first thing in the morning."

"Yes sir. We'll head out immediately." Jorgen replied.

Ulrik looked out towards the setting sun. Already the evening squad was taking up their guard duty stations and beginning their patrols around the fort. The war for him and his men was just beginning, but he knew that deep down they would be able to overcome any obstacles placed before them.


End file.
